Concacaf Takes Action: Referee Penalized for Asking Messi for Autograph

Concacaf has taken action against referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava after he was seen asking Lionel Messi for his shirt right after the recent Concacaf Champions Cup match where Inter Miami defeated Sporting Kansas City.

After the game, Ortiz Nava approached Messi, seemingly requesting his jersey. It later came to light that he was actually asking for an autograph for a family member who has special needs. However, this still violated Concacaf’s code of conduct for officials.

A spokesperson for Concacaf stated, “We are aware of the incident between referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava and Lionel Messi after the game. Upon review, we learned that the referee’s request was for a family member.” They also emphasized that his actions did not align with the standards for referees.

Sporting Kansas City reported the incident to both Concacaf and Major League Soccer. They said, “We informed Concacaf and MLS after the match and are awaiting their further actions.”

While Concacaf hasn’t revealed the details of any disciplinary actions against Ortiz Nava, he has acknowledged his mistake and has apologized for it.

In the match itself, Inter Miami secured a 1-0 victory over Sporting KC, with Messi scoring the only goal in the second half. This match was originally postponed due to a winter storm warning that had predicted heavy snowfall in Kansas City, although the game was played in extremely cold temperatures, which the Inter Miami coach described as “not human.”

The two teams will face off again in the second leg at Chase Stadium on February 25.

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